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Viking Apocalypse

Fifty-four headless skeletons (but only 51 skulls) were recently found in a shallow grave near Weymouth. There was little evidence of trauma on the skeletons, apart from that slight issue of decapitation. Archaeologists are puzzled, but science and close reading of contemporary texts help them solve the case very neatly, including what happened to those missing skulls. It’s a grisly story (rather too gleefully reconstructed) but a fascinating one, shedding light on the fears of the first Millennium.

About this programme

An investigation into the remains of more than 50 decapitated Vikings found in a burial pit in Weymouth, Dorset, revealing a story of greed, betrayal and retribution.